Prince Harry may choose not to meet King Charles during his current visit to the UK in an effort to prevent their reunion from overshadowing his work with the Invictus Games, according to royal commentators.
The Duke of Sussex is visiting Britain alone to promote the sporting event, which is scheduled to take place in Birmingham next year.
Royal expert John McDermott told Sky News Australia that Harry could avoid meeting his father because any reunion would quickly become the main focus of media coverage.
“We’re already seeing weeks of speculation over whether Harry will meet members of the Royal Family during his upcoming UK visit, so you can imagine the frenzy a meeting in California would have generated,” he said.
McDermott, the creator of the Palace Intrigue podcast, said Harry remains “deeply committed” to the Invictus Games and wants attention to remain on the event rather than his relationship with the Royal Family.
He also suggested that the Birmingham Games could provide King Charles and other senior royals with an opportunity to improve relations with Harry.
“With plenty of advance notice, senior members of the Royal Family will have the opportunity to decide whether to attend and won’t be able to blame ‘scheduling’ for a well-announced event,” McDermott said. “Whatever they choose, that decision makes headlines.”
Although speculation continues over whether Harry will meet his father during the visit, no reunion has been officially confirmed.
